WELLS —“ Mud, Mud, Mud!” shrieked the young women as they entered the greenhouse at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge Saturday morning.

The young women ”“ students and alumni from Coastal Studies for girls ”“ eagerly lined up along wading pools of dirt, got their instructions from Biological Scientist Technician Megan Zopfi, and then it was down to business.

They hydrated and prepped the dirt, and then planted bayberry seedlings in pots.

The bayberry plants were part of a post-Hurricane Sandy effort to help strengthen and restore marsh habitats and create a buffer for future storms and a predicted sea-level rise.

There were about 30 students and alumnae from Coastal Studies for Girls, a science and leadership school for 10th grade girls located in Freeport, helping with coastal shrub­-planting preparation as part of a region-wide project supported by federal funding for Hurricane Sandy recovery.

The students and alumnae came from different areas across the state as well as the country to help out.

Alumna Heather Sieger of Austin, Texas was among those working in the greenhouse Saturday. She said she had come up to Maine to tour the College of Atlantic, and came early to help out.

The young women were planting a range of shrubs that, in addition to bayberries, included meadow sweet and swamp roses.

“It’s a huge help,” Zopfi said.

The shrubs will be planted in the fall in marsh habitats in a number of areas, including Kittery, York and Scarborough, said Zopfi.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext.325 or egotthelf@journaltribunecom.